Republic Waste Services issues trash pickup plan in case of strike

When Republic Waste Services employees engaged in a sympathy strike in support of the firm’s Youngstown workers the week of April 15, Fairview Park Mayor Eileen Patton wasn’t happy. Neither were residents in nearby communities whose garbage sat untouched.

To enable those affected to receive adequate service in the event another work stoppage happens in the future, Patton took the lead and coordinated a meeting at which the cities of Avon, Avon Lake, Bay Village, Fairview Park, Middleburg Heights, North Ridgeville and Parma Heights were represented. The consensus was that Republic needed to provide a written contingency plan, even though the company eventually reimbursed the affected cities for the cost of having to provide their own means of trash pickup. That plan has now been finalized.

In a recent interview, Patton provided an overview and offered her comments on the waste hauler.

“We’ve had Republic since 2006,” Patton said. “We’re very pleased with their service. They respond quickly, and I believe our residents like the new garbage program. But things happen. We actually focused in on labor interruption in case this would happen again somewhere else.”

She went on to say that Dave Kidder, Republic’s area municipal services manager, and other Republic managers received the mayors’ original input “very positively.”

“The first thing Dave said to us when he brought this (plan) to us was, ‘We all learned a lot from this situation,’ ” Patton recalled. “He is very service-oriented. Dave Kidder is a good guy to work with.”

Coordinating the details with Fairview’s Service Department, Patton was able to work with her staff to pick up residents’ bulk items and yard waste that Republic couldn’t accommodate during the April strike. She noted Republic’s labor contracts still haven’t been signed by its union employees, a situation that has lingered since February. Patton did say, however, that Kidder is hopeful those contracts will be ratified soon.

Communication was the biggest obstacle during the April work stoppage, she added. As part of the new plan, telephone call “blasts” will be sent by Republic on a daily basis to the media in order to update residents on a service status during work stoppages. Conference calls with city officials also will take place daily. Republic then will follow up with affected cities within 24 hours after the trash emergency ends. Patton shared details of the plan’s three-day process.

“Day One is really important for getting the communication out,” she explained, going on to note each community’s needs will be assessed that first day, with Day Two serving as Republic’s time for getting organized to address the emergency. “Day Three will begin limited trash collection of garbage only (not bulk items or yard waste). They will work seven days to catch up.”

Residents have several means of staying informed during any trash disruption. Patton recommended accessing the city’s website, fairviewpark.org, and Nixle, the community’s emergency text and email notification system (resident sign-up is required for participation via the city website) as the best ways to stay abreast of the situation. The city also issues an e-newsletter that contains useful information for residents.

She appeared optimistic the lessons learned from April will continue to help Fairview and the surrounding communities going forward.

“It’s a prime example that if you keep communication open and you’re a willing participant, positive things can happen out of an emergency,” Patton said.

“It’s nice to see all this in writing. I believe this is going to benefit all of the cities. Let’s hope we never have to test the plan. If we do, I know that Dave Kidder and Republic are committed to making the next emergency smoother and more productive than the last one.”

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